Got You Under my Skin
by snow1685
Summary: Mulder, Bill and Charlie were best friends in highschool. How would they take it if he fell for their sister?
1. Chapter 1

**Got you under my Skin**

**Disclaimer: **I do not own and characters from the X-Files, I do however own this story but am not making any profit from it.

**N.B -** This story reflects characters childhoods as being different in some ways to those of the show.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Fox Mulder had known the Scully family for quite a while, he was good friends with Bill and Charlie and could often be found at the Scully resident playing sports or just hanging out. Bill and Charlie's youngest sister Dana always wanted to join in with any activities that the boys pursued and they didn't really mind. She had proven herself to be just as tough as any of them and quite up to scratch to play any of their games and sports. In the eyes of the three boys she was one of them.

Mulder (as he preferred to be called) had first met the Scully youths when he had started high school, he was in Bill's year and made easy friends with him and his brother, often playing practical jokes on the teachers and being the clowns of the class.

Bill knew what he wanted to do, he was going to follow in his father's footsteps and join the navy and Charlie was starting to look like he was going in the same direction. Mulder was still unsure of what profession he wanted to join, but was leaning towards psychology and maybe forensics. His original idea was to apply for Oxford college in England, but recently he had found something that made him want to stay closer to home.

That something came in the form of the tomboy sister of his best friends. Dana, who had nearly caught up with he and her brothers in school by skipping whole grades at a time had made the decision to go to a local college, and they had gotten so close recently that he knew he couldn't bare to be parted from her.

It had taken quite a few years for Mulder to see Dana as any more then one of the guys, but when he had it had been surprisingly sudden. Since he was so close to the family and he didn't have a lot of family of his own Mulder had often gone away on vacation with the Scully family. Normally it was the brothers, Dana and he who fooled around together, went exploring and played games while Melissa, their older sister lazed around in the sun working on her tan or reading new age books, if she wasn't on the phone to her friends.

Melissa was more Mulder's age, but he didn't know her nearly as well as he did Dana. Or as well as he _thought_ he knew Dana. On one such vacation Bill, Charlie, Mulder and Dana had gone for a walk around the shore of the small island they were staying on. While Bill and Charlie had decided to go exploring in the neighbouring forest Dana sat down on the smooth, warm sand of the beach. She pulled Mulder down with and laughed. He loved her laugh- it was so familiar and always managed to cheer him up.

" Don't you want to go exploring with your brothers Miss. Scully?" Mulder asked

Scully screwed up her face at him and squinted into the sun " Not particularly."

" Rather go for a swim with me?" Mulder asked, stripping off his shirt and leaving it on the sand

" Your on!" Dana yelled after him as she pulled off her shorts and ran into the water in her swimsuit

She was shorter then Mulder and he quickly caught up with her, lifting her around the waist and carrying her into the depths.

" Mulder!" She yelled, an edge to her voice that both Mulder and her brothers knew well, " Put me down"

" Okay" Mulder agreed, dumping her unceremoniously into the ocean.

Dana came up spluttering, a new conviction in the timber of her voice as she exclaimed, " That's it!"

Laughing again she half ran, half swum after Mulder and grabbed him around the middle, pulling him under with her. When they both surfaced Mulder grinned at her, " That the best you can do?"

" Oh trust me Mulder" Dana proclaimed, " When I get you for real, you won't know what hit you."

She had never said a truer word in her life.

Suddenly he realised that he was staring at her, not just staring but gazing at her. At his best friends little sister. 'When had this happened?' Mulder wondered, 'Since when had Dana been anything but a friend and a sister to him?'

It had taken a full moment for him to realise that she was staring back, probably wondering what the hell he was doing. But to his amazement she must have read his thoughts and somehow agreed with them because before he knew it her lips were on his and then just as suddenly they weren't and she was gone.

He blinked, wondering if what had just happened was real, it was then that he heard her infectious giggle from the sand and he most definitely remembered her lips on his, no matter how briefly, and she had left him wanting more.

He turned towards the giggle and saw Dana smiling at him from the shore; he also saw Bill and Charlie emerging from the trees not far to her right. Rapidly he realised that this situation was a lot more complicated then he'd thought. 'How was he going to explain this to Bill?'


	2. Chapter 2

**Got You Under my Skin**

**Disclaimer: **I do not own anything to do with the X-Files, I do however own this story, but am not making nay money from it.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It took a while for Mulder to build up the courage to tell Bill that he liked his sister. In fact he left it to the very last day of the vacation to finally work up the nerve and blurt into the middle of a game of baseball " Bill, I think I'm in love with Dana."

Mulder hadn't known what he'd expected but the look on bill's face was not it. He wasn't sure whether he should run or not, he was however glad that he was the one holding the bat. Still on the next pitch the ball came suspiciously close to his head.

" Dana..as in my little sister Dana?" Bill asked moving towards Mulder one step at a time

" Yeh" Mulder replied sheepishly

" When did you realise this?" Bill demanded

" Um, just the other week."

Bill nodded, for a while there he had the awful thought that his best friend had been carrying on with his sister behind his back for half the time he'd known him.

" Does she like you that way too?" Bill tested

" I…I think so." Mulder stumbled

" Hmmm." Bill mulled over the though

He didn't like the thought of Dana going out with any guy, but he had a feeling that he wouldn't be able to stop that. Having her go out with his best friend would probably be a bit weird, especially if it didn't last. But he had to admit that he trusted Mulder a lot more then any of the other guys Dana had gone out with. At least his whole family knew this guy and knew that he respected Dana whatever the circumstances.

He was right in front of Mulder now, and Mulder was quite prepared to duck if Bill sent a loaded punch his way. Instead he stuck his hand out and waited for Mulder to nervously shake it.

" Congratulations" He remarked, pulling Mulder into a bear hug and whispering into his ear, " If you hurt her in any way your dead." Before stepping back to look at him and ask, " Have you told Mum?"

" No" Mulder revealed, " I kind of thought that that was Dana's turf."

" Hmmm your probably right. They'll have some big girl to girl talk about it and about you, Ha, I don't envy you in that one."

" Do you think she will mind?" Mulder asked anxiously

" Mulder you've been part of our family for years, if Mum can make it official she won't pass up the chance."

" I'll be dead if I screw this up won't I?" Mulder ventured

Bill nodded, " 'Fraid so."

" Then I guess I better not screw it up." Mulder concluded

Bill nodded, " No you better not. Now are we done here cause I'm gonna go for a swim."

" Yep. ' Mulder concluded, " Finished here, and coming with you. Just let me get my trunks."

As he headed inside he ran into Dana and stopped abruptly,

" You told him didn't you." She smiled

All Mulder could do was nod

" And you're still alive." Dana remarked looking him up and down, " Well done. That has to be a good sign."

Mulder felt the sides of his mouth turn up into a goofy grin

" Have you told your Mum yet?" He asked

Dana's eyes shone with alluring mystery, " You'll see."

He shook his head and laughed, " I never realised that you were such a mystery."

Dana grinned, " I'm going for a swim, See you out there soon?"

" Yep" Mulder answered, leaning in to kiss her cheek before leaving to get his swimsuit.


	3. Chapter 3

**Got You Under my Skin**

**Disclaimer: **Still don't own anything to do with The X-Files, own this story but not making any money from it.

Maggie Scully had indeed been told about the change in Dana and Mulder's relationship that day but decided not to bring it up until after dinner when they had all returned home. She had assumed that Bill would have told Charlie and Melissa.. well Melissa had probably know before Mulder and Dana had. She would tell her husband when he came back from his latest voyage.

When Mulder stated later that night that he better be heading home she offered to walk him to the car. He accepted even if a bit uneasy with the prospect, Maggie grinned to herself, in all the time that Fox Mulder had been with this family he had never been intimidated by any of them besides the children's father. Now he seemed worried whether they would still accept him in this different position.

When they got to the car Maggie smiled in what she hoped was a comforting way, in a lot of areas she was more like a mother to this boy then his biological one.

" Fox, Dana told me that she thinks that your relationship has grown from friendship into something more."

Mulder looked at his feet and shifted his weight from one to the other

" She seems quite happy about the prospect, and so am I."

Mulder finally lifted his face to look at her- she was still smiling

" Fox, I can't think of any other boy I would rather my youngest daughter be with. We know you, trust you and respect you, I'm sure you'll treat her well."

Mulder didn't want to think of the prospect of what would happen to him if he didn't, and didn't think that he should particularly bring it up with Maggie either.

" Now" Maggie commented, "I'm sure that you'd rather it was Dana seeing you off so I'll go back in and send her out. And don't worry I'll keep the boys away from the windows so you don't have an audience. "

Mulder blushed; this was going to be a bit uncomfortable for a bit, he could tell. But was it worth it? When he saw Dana appear at the door a minute later he decided that it was.

She walked towards him and inquired, " Do you feel like you're in an old fashioned movie where you have to secure the family's well wishes before taking their daughter out?"

" Slightly, yes." Mulder smiled

" Hmmm" Dana mused, then glanced back up at him "They all like you Fox. I like you. Not a lot is going to change that."

" I hope not," Mulder answered, savouring the sound of the way she said his first name. Coming from her mouth it sounded right instead of annoying like he normal.

" Well, goodnight Fox. I guess I'll probably see you after church tomorrow."

He nodded, good luck to anyone who tried to keep him away. Then he saw the same thing in her eyes as he'd seen that first time at the beach.

Leaning in he brought his face closer to hers and kissed her softly on the lips, feeling a warm sense of contentment as she kissed him back.

When they pulled apart to look into the eyes of the other the common thought was that this was right.

" Goodnight Dana"

" Goodnight Fox"

Smiling he opened the car door and put the key in the ignition. Pulling away he waved and she waved back. She stood there for a minute after he'd driven off, just watching his car disappear and letting herself feel the unfamiliar emotions that he had brought up in her.

From the window Maggie Scully watched her youngest daughter and smiled to herself, she had a feeling that Fox Mulder was going to be a part of the Scully family for quite a long time.


	4. Chapter 4

**Got You Under my Skin**

**Disclaimer: **I don't own anything to do with The X-Files, I do however own this story, but am not making any money from it.

The day that Mulder found the shared apartment not far from the college was one of the most exciting days of his life. To think that very soon she would be joining on campus and that they would both be living together was a fantasy that had been building up for the entire year of college that Mulder had already undergone without her.

During his first year at college he had travelled back and forth between the campus and home, Dana was still finishing up her senior year at high school and he couldn't bare to be away from her for that long. He was handling his classes well and had made quite a few friends, but he couldn't wait for the one person he was closest to to be there with him.

Both Bill and Charlie had gone into Navy training as predicted and it was just the girls left at home in the Scully residence. Mrs. Scully had taken quite some convincing in order to allow Dana to move in with Mulder and also be away from home, but in the end she had wavered. This was mainly because she was sad to see her youngest daughter leave, but had decided she would feel more content if she knew that Mulder was there with her.

Dana had been studying hard for her finals and in the end it paid off with some amazing grades. The entire Scully family, including Mulder came together to be at her graduation and cheered as loudly as they could. She ascended the stairs blushing furiously but also smiling widely at their display of support.

Dana was a little nervous about going to college as she was still going to be younger then a lot of the students because of her skipped years during high school, but with Mulder there with her she thought that decided that she probably wouldn't feel so out of it.

It was not long after her graduation that Mulder drove down to the college with her to show her the apartment he had found. They would be sharing it with two other people with a joint lounge room, bathroom and kitchen but their own bedroom. The students they were sharing with were named Nicole and Louis and they met them at the steps to the apartment.

" Mulder!" Louis exclaimed, slapping his hand into a high five, " How are ya?"

" Good Louis, yourself?"

" Can't complain" Louis smiled, " Is this the little lady?" he asked referring to Dana

" This is her" Mulder replied proudly, " Louis, Nicole I'd like you to meet my girlfriend Dana Scully."

" We've heard a lot about you Dana" Nicole commented, shaking her hand

" Yeh" Louis grinned, also shaking her hand, " There's been a lot of girls who've wanted a piece of your boyfriend since he started here, but it barely even turns his head, seems like his way too into you to even notice."

Dana glanced up at Mulder who was blushing slightly, she had never thought much about how appealing her boyfriend must be to other woman.

Nicole giving Louis a swift elbow in the ribs followed by a death glare brought her back to the present, " I guess it's time to see the place." Nicole smiled warmly

Mulder and Dana nodded, and he felt her small hand weave itself into his own as they ascended the stairs.

Dana fell in love with the place the minute she saw it, and Mulder knew by the look in his eyes that he had chosen well. It was reasonably small but considering there was going to be four people living in it was just the right size. Their bedroom was bare and lifeless, but Dana knew that she could brighten it up in a matter of days and was already wondering whether Nicole would be willing to help her. She still couldn't believe that she and Mulder were going to be living together, not only had she gotten into medicine but she was going to be waking up and falling asleep with Mulder every day, what more could she ask for?

" Do you like it?" Mulder whispered in her ear

She turned to him, eyes gleaming and nodded her head. He smiled and turned towards Nicole and Louis " Is it ours?" He asked

Nicole glanced at Louis and they both nodded, "Can't see why not" Louis smiled

Nicole nodded in concurrence, " You both seem like lovely people, we've know Mulder for nearly a year and we know that you're in a committed relationship. It would be a pleasure to share our house with you."

Mulder felt Dana squeeze his hand and he grinned, looking down into her shining face

" Well that's that then. I'll get you the bond and our first weeks rent and we'll move in next week."


	5. Chapter 5

**Got You Under my Skin**

**Disclaimer: **I don't own anything to do with The X-Files, I do own this story, but I am not making any profit from it.

Louis, Nicole and some of Mulder's friends threw Dana and Mulder a small welcoming party on the day that they officially moved in. Nicole had also had the forethought to invite some of her own friends so that Dana would have some female company as well.

Some of the girls, on meeting Dana had been surprised at Mulder's choice in a girlfriend. They had expected a tall, buxom blonde or brunette like the ones that were always trying to get his attention in class. But instead he had a petite; young red head who seemed very independent in her own right and who had more of a natural, classic beauty. She seemed to be quite his opposite, yet they were unbelievably close.

" Nicole" Dana whispered, pulling her away from the group a bit later in the evening, " I was wondering if you would help me with something."

" Of course " Nicole replied, " What is it?"

" Well I wanted to surprise Fox by doing up our room, you know making it a bit more personal."

" Sounds like fun." Nicole smiled, " I'll tell you what, one day this week, after you've got your schedule and text books sorted out we'll go shopping for anything you need. Then we'll get Louis to take Mulder out to play B-Ball or something while we decorate."

Dana smiled, "That sounds perfect, thankyou so much."

" No problem." Nicole replied, " That's what friends are for."

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dana felt like the new girl at school all over again as Mulder went with her to buy her text books and find all of her rooms. She felt like everyone was looking at her and judging her for some reason. Just as she was thinking about how she'd never be able to find half of these rooms again without Mulder's help she realised that she was about to meet yet another one of Mulder's friends.

"Jack!" Mulder called to a tall blonde guy of roughly the same age, " Jack Keegan!"

The guy- presumedly Jack, turned to face them and grinned

" Mulder" He greeted with a strong handshake, " How are you man?"

" Good" Mulder replied, " Very good. But what are you doing back so early? I thought that you were in Canada until second week back."

" I just couldn't stay away" Jack joked, then turning slightly more serious he added, " We had a slight change of plans in the vacation schedule."

Dana cleared her throat and Mulder looked down at her before exclaiming, " Oh sorry! Jack Keegan, this is my girlfriend Dana Scully. Dana- Jack"

" Pleased to meet you" Dana replied shaking his hand before turning back to Mulder, " Fox I'm a bit brain-dead from everything I've had to take in. I'm just going to pop down and get us some coffee at the cafeteria, meet you there?"

" Okay" Mulder agreed watching her walk away before turning back to Jack

" Nice" Jack commented, referring to Dana, " I can see why you never went for those other chicks. Why would you if you had that?"

" You probably still would" Mulder replied, referring to Jack's spout of passionate, short term, dead-ended relationships.

Jack shrugged, " I think I need some coffee as well."

" Is that what the vacation changes were Jack?" Mulder asked, following close behind his friend " Is there no more Rachel?"

" No, no more Rachel" Jack confirmed, " And this time it wasn't my fault."

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Scully stood in line waiting to be served while trying to balance her medicine textbook as well as her handbag. It wasn't long before she noticed someone close by trying to do the same. The girl looking around Dana's age, maybe a bit older with dark brown hair, green eyes and was wearing in a red singlet top and jeans.

" They don't consider the fact that we only have two hands when they make us buy all this stuff do they?" Dana asked

The girl looked up from trying to shove the textbook in her book bag and gave a sheepish smile, " No I don't think they do."

Dana indicated the text with her head, as her hands were full, and confirmed, " Freshman, Medicine?"

" Yes" The girl agreed

" Same here" Dana answered, showing her her own text, " I'm Dana by the way."

" Sally" The girl announced

" Nice to meet you Sally. Things seem to be a bit crazy when you start here hey?"

" Definitely" Sally agreed, " I think we should help each other."

" Done" Dana grinned, moving up to the counter to place her order of two lattes' while Sally ordered a cappuccino.

Together they found the closest table and sat down before the coffee lost its balance in the equilibrium of textbooks and bags.

" Are you living on campus? " Sally asked, taking a sip from her coffee

" No, I've just moved into a shared apartment not far from here with my boyfriend."

" Lucky you" Sally remarked, trying again, rather unsuccessfully to cram the textbook into her bag, before uttering a frustrated " Arghh, I give up." Glancing up she noticed Mulder and Jack heading over and whispered, " Don't look now but there's two hot guys coming our way."

Dana glanced up and grinned as she saw that it was Mulder.

" Hey babe" He commented, leaning down to plant a quick kiss on her lips, " Made another friend already?"

Dana rolled her eyes and remarked as he sat down next to her," Yes Fox, I'm not completely useless you know."

" Oh trust me I know" Mulder grinned; grabbing the coffee she'd gotten him and taking the lid off to blow on it.

Jack sat down next to Sally and Dana realised that in her bantering with Mulder she'd forgotten to make the introductions.

" Fox Mulder, this is Sally, we met in the line of caffeine addicts. She's doing Medicine as well and is in my year. Sally this is my boyfriend Mulder"

" That's great. You'll probably have quite a few classes together" Mulder smiled, nodding towards Sally as he lifted the coffee to his mouth,

" Good to meet you Sally."

" And this is Jack, one of Mulder's friends"

Jack turned towards Sally and produced a charming grin, " Pleasure" he remarked, taking her hand

Mulder rolled her eyes- here we go again.


	6. Chapter 6

**Got You Under my Skin **

**Disclaimer: **I don not own anything to do with the X-Files. I do however own this story, but am not making any profit from it

On the Friday of that week Nicole kept her promise and took Dana and Sally to the local mall to find anything they could to decorate the couple's new room. That afternoon in between classes Nicole had piled them both into her car and taken off, leaving Louis in charge of keeping Mulder occupied during any breaks.

Before she had left home Mrs. Scully had given Dana a few things to help make college feel more like home. Together they had sat down on the living room carpet and looked through some old photos, picking out any that had Mulder and Dana in them. Now all she had to do was find some suitable frames and base the rest of the room around them.

Nicole lead the way through the unfamiliar mall like she had spent half of her life there, which she quite likely had. " Okay" She commented, turning to face the other girls, " Where would you like to start?"

Dana and Sally looked around at all the department and specialty stores in awe; it had seemed so much simpler before Dana found herself faced with so many decisions.

Nicole smiled at her obvious uncertainty and decided to offer some support, " You wanted to get a couple of those photos blown up didn't you?"

" Yes" Dana answered, dishing through her handbag to find the negatives from both of their senior proms

" There's a Photoshop just over there" Nicole pointed to the right, " Why don't we put in the photos and then come back for them after we've gotten some basic colours and bits and pieces. That way we can buy the frames and match them to what we have."

Dana nodded in amazement at Nicole's forethought,

" Sounds good"

After the photos were taken care of Nicole led them through the other stores, telling Dana to let her know if anything caught her eye. About halfway along Sally stopped in front of a décor shop and exclaimed

" Oww, we had one of these back home. Let's have a look in here."

Dana shrugged and walked in, immediately her senses were surrounded by the smells of sandalwood and rose.

" This is beautiful," she whispered, fingering the layers of Indian style fabric

" I had that kind of fabric up at my windows for curtains and then a few of those pillows on my bed as well. Mine were in pink, but you could have blue or green to make it more suitable for both you and Mulder." Sally commented

Dana nodded wordlessly as a sales assistant came over to them

" Can I help you?" she asked with a friendly smile

" Um, yes" Dana stammered before Nicole stepped in

" We're looking to do up a room in a shared apartment near the college. It's for Dana and her boyfriend so it has to be unisex. "

The assistant nodded, taking in the information and trying to build up a picture in her mind.

" Okay" she answered finally as all three girls held their breath, " Stick with me here, but what if…"

She went on to describe a room with the bluey-green Indian material as a bedspread, blue and chocolate brown cushions on the bed and a brown rug on the floor. The windows would be more of a neutral colour, with a cream blind instead of curtains. Dana nodded as she spoke, imagining it in her mind, it sounded just perfect, and she was sure that Mulder would like it too.

It had added up to quite a bit, but Dana was happy with her purchases and had been saving up some of her pay especially for the room. Nicole and Sally put in a little money each despite Dana's protests, saying that it was their housewarming present to her and Mulder.

Walking back towards the Photoshop Dana picked up the enlargements and also pulled a couple more 6x4s from her handbag, to search for some frames. Lucky for them they had some silver decorative frames with a jewel in each corner that matched the colours they had chosen for the room. She chose these frames for the enlargements of their senior proms and then chose some simple silver frames for the 6x4s.

Dana stood still for a minute after coming out of the shop and looked up and down the stores,

" Something's missing" she commented half to herself. Deciding to give into Sally and Nicole's protests for food she was walking towards the food court when she saw it in the window of a nearby shop.

Sending the other girls on ahead with her order she entered the shop and looked at it closer, 'Yes, that was definitely it. That was what had been missing in her mind'. It was a simple yet elegant lamp, cream in colour with teardrop pendants hanging from the shade. She smiled, 'this was going to be her addition to the room'.

It took a good couple of hours to fully decorate the room the next day. Mulder had gone out to play basketball with Louis, Jack and a couple of his other friends so the girls knew they only had the morning to finish the job. When it was all put together it looked just like Dana had envisioned, and she sighed happily as she stood back to admire their handy work.

" Thankyou" She blessed, throwing her arms around her new friends. She couldn't believe how fast they had all pulled together to help make her and Mulder feel welcome.

" Our pleasure" Nicole and Sally laughed, squeezing her tightly, " Now we've just got to wait for them to come back."

" I hope he likes it" Dana whispered nervously

" Oh honey, he'll love it!" Nicole announced enthusiastically

Mulder and Louis came home half an hour later and Dana greeted him at the top of the stairs with a hug

" Eww you're all sweaty" she exclaimed

" Yeah, I was just going to get changed." Mulder commenting, giving her a quick kiss and heading for the bedroom

" No!" Dana shouted anxiously

" Why?" Mulder spun around confused

" You go have a shower and I'll get you some clothes, Sally and I have been studying and there's books and notes everywhere."

" O…kay" Mulder answered, his interest peaked. Dana smiled sweetly at him and pushed him towards the bathroom calling out, " I'll bring you a change of clothes in a minute."

When she was sure that he was safely in the shower with the water running she let out the breath she'd been holding and laughed

" Nice save" Nicole exclaimed from the lounge, " Although I think he knows something's up"

" Did you get it finished?" Louis asked

" Yes" Dana answered excitedly, " It's all ready and waiting." She then remembered the change of clothing she'd promised Mulder and ran into the room to find a pair of jeans and a t-shirt.

When Mulder emerged from the bathroom 15 minutes later he took one look at the inconspicuous group gathered on the lounge and demanded,

" Okay, what's going on?"

Louis, Nicole and Sally all looked at Dana who smiled and stood up,

" Come with me" she instructed leading him to the door of their room,

" Close your eyes"

Mulder gave her an incredulous look before complying, he managed to get one bedroom joke in before she opened the door and lead him in while the other three stood behind and watched in building anticipation.

" Okay…OPEN!" Dana exclaimed

Mulder took his hands from his eyes and took in the room before him, he blinked twice and then looked back at Dana

" You did this?" he asked in shock

Dana nodded, " Me and Nicole and Sally. Do you like it?"

Mulder took a few steps into the room and had a better look around, " I love it."

Glancing up he noticed the two portraits of them hanging up on the wall and smiled, then he noticed the smaller pictures scattered. Lifting one to examine it he realised that it was a Christmas at the Scully's house with he, Dana, Melissa, Bill, Charlie and the Scully parents all standing around the Christmas tree.

" Where'd you get these?" He asked, " Did your mum give us these?"

" Yep" Dana answered smugly, " She's the one who gave me this idea, to make our new place more homely and personal."

" Wow" he exclaimed, putting the photo back down and turning to take in the entirety of the room again. Before his gaze feel on her.

" Come here you," He commanded, gathering her up in his arms, " You really did all this just for me?"

" Yep" Dana grinned, " Well for us."

" Oh hun, I love you. Thankyou" he whispered, scooping her in a kiss

" Love you too," she whispered back into his lips

Behind them the watching crowd let out a cacophony of wolf whistles and catcalls. Dana and Mulder laughed and he reluctantly set her back on the ground in front of him.

" And you lot were all in on this?" he asked

They nodded in conspirator fashion, " Even you?" Mulder asked Louis

He laughed, " Man, you think I'm not gonna do what these woman tell me to do?"

" Traitor" Mulder teased

Louis raised his eyebrows, " Don't hear you complaining."

Mulder smiled contentedly, looking around him again at all the extra details Dana had added. Finally his eyes settled back on her

" I don't deserve you" he commented, taking her hand

" Damn straight" she replied with a wry smile

" Together forever?" He asked, speaking an old catch phrase that they hadn't used in months

" And a day" Dana concluded, reaching up to give him another kiss.

_**Hey people, I tried to make it a little longer this time since people have been complaining bitterly. I know the ending's a little soppy but it reminded me of a catch phrase my cousin and I used to have in which one of us would say part of the phrase and the other would always say the other half. It was a personal thing and I just knew that Mulder and Scully would probably have had something like that. Anyway, please read and review, I hope you're liking it. If I take a little while to update it's because I've got two stories on the boil at once. Snow **_


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything to do with the X-Files, I do own this story but am not making any profit from it. **

" Guess what came for you in the post" Dana commented as she stomped up the stairs towards the lounge room

" What?" Mulder asked, not taking his eyes off the television

" Well from the writing I would say that it's a Birthday present from Mum and Missy."

This information was enough to peak Mulder's interest and tear his eyes momentarily from the game on TV, " What is it?"

" Don't know" Dana answered, throwing the package his way, " Open it and find out"

" Yes Maam" Mulder saluted, before ripping into the package

" Letter" He grabbed the envelope marked 'Dana' and tossed it back at her, " Card" he opened it, scanned the contents and smiled. It read 'this gift is full of memories.' Intrigued he pulled out the gift, it was a videotape.

" Dana" He waved the tape in front of her, "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

A small grin turned up the corners of her mouth, "All those times Missy had her camera in everybody's face."

" It's all going to come back and haunt us on my birthday." He finished wish a nod

Nicole had been curiously watching the exchange instead of the game for the last five minutes

" Can we watch it now?" she begged

" Louis?" Mulder asked the only person still interested in the television. Louis lifted his eyes from the screen and saw that everyone was looking at him expectantly.

" Oh okay" he gave in reluctantly, " But only because it's your birthday"

Mulder stood and put the tape in the VCR, pressing play and then settling back onto the couch with Dana.

The first scene that came on was Mulder, Bill and Charlie playing basketball in the Scully's backyard. Mulder shot past Charlie and the ball went flying through the hoop.

" Nothing but net" Mulder commented to the room as the camera panned over to the tables and chairs on the patio where Dana and Mulder's girlfriend sat. Dana looked like she was cheering the boys on, and whenever Mulder shot her a smile the girl beside her shot her a death stare.

" Who is that?" Nicole asked

" That " Dana answered, " Was Anna McLean, Fox's girlfriend at the time."

" She doesn't seem to like you very much" Nicole remarked

" She was jealous" Mulder answered, " That I was closer to Dana then her. She didn't seem to understand that at that time Dana was like a sister to me."

" I was 13 years old" Dana added, " How insecure can a girl be?"

Back on the screen the ball went flying towards Dana who deftly caught it and made a run for it. All three boys chased after her, tackling her to the ground. The camera was set down on the table and Melissa ran out from behind ti to jump on top.

Dana laughed, " Nothing's changed."

The next couple of minutes were of similar events, the boys throwing the girls in the pool, snowball fights in full blaze and then a candid interview with Mulder when he was roughly 17.

" Fox Mulder"

" Melissa Scully"

" Who is your favourite Scully?"

" Bill"

" Why do you say that?"

" Because I value my life" Mulder replied

" Wimp" Melissa muttered

Mulder raised his eyebrow

" And who is the prettiest Scully?"

" Your mum" Mulder grinned

" That's only because she's sighting right there."

" So are you and Dana"

Melissa ignored him and continued on, " Why do you like our family so much?"

" Because you're all as crazy as me."

" Mulder!" Dana's voice rang out

" Okay, another reason hmmm…." Mulder made a big deal out of pondering the question before turning serious and admitting, " I'm comfortable with all you guys, you took em in. For once I feel like I belong."

" You do belong Fox" Mrs. Scully's voice answered from off camera. Mulder smiled a sad yet content smile before the camera clicked off.

When the black screen flicked back on both Dana and Mulder gasped. It was a moment that they both remembered well, but would never have believed that it had actually been recorded.

" She didn't!" Dana exclaimed

" I think she might well have." Mulder confirmed

Louis and Nicole watched with more interest as a younger Dana and Mulder splashed into the ocean, Mulder picked her up and then threw her into the depths, only to be tackled himself a few minutes later.

The camera zoomed in as far as it could go to capture when Mulder had realised that the girl who was half wrapped around him was no longer a gangly little girl but a full bodied young woman. They stared at one another and then Dana dipped her head and kissed him quickly on the lips, Mulder kissed her back and with the blink of an eye she was gone. Melissa panned back and saw that she was running back to shore, Mulder still knee deep in water as he stared after her in shock. The only thing that snapped him back to reality was the boys emerging from the trees behind Dana.

Melissa turned the camera back on herself and remarked, " Well well, lil sis and Fox, this could be interesting. To be continued….."

Mulder pressed pause and turned to look at Dana " She knew before anyone." He acknowledged

" Doesn't she always?" Dana half laughed, seeing the humour in the situation

" So" Nicole began, " I take it we just witnessed the first kiss of Fox Mulder and Dana Scully?"

" Yep" Mulder confirmed, " My bestfriend's little sister jumped me."

" Excuse me!" Dana exclaimed

Mulder chuckled again at her face and wrapped his arm around her shoulder, " I would have done it if you hadn't" He reassured

" Okay, okay you two" Nicole exclaimed, " I want to see what happens next."

" Yeh, me too." Louis echoed. Even he had the good grace to blush as everyone turned to regard him with incredulous looks, " What?" He defended, " This Melissa chick is hot!"

Mulder laughed and pressed play once more before Dana could attack Louis for his comment about her sister.

This time there was some commentary from the family about what they thought of Mulder – starting with Melissa holding the camera on herself.

" Mulder…hmmm, now where do I start?" She mused, " Mulder's like a brother to us, it's hard to remember a time when he wasn't around. Even though he's normally off with Dana and the boys, I still feel like we have a certain repartee. I think we share the same level of maturity."

" Oh, I am so much more mature than her!" Mulder pouted as the screen changed to Bill and Charlie

" Mulder's our man!" they yelled and then frantically looked at the camera and asked, " What else are we meant to say?"

Dana burst out laughing

" Oh yeh, he's an awesome baseball and basketball player and a good mate" Bill announced

" Don't make us get all soppy Mis" Charlie complained as Melissa hissed at them to say more. With a sigh from behind the camera the screen went black and reappeared with Dana replacing her brothers.

" Is Mulder hot?" Melissa asked

" Missy!" Dana blushed, " That's not what you were asking the boys!"

" Well it would have been a bit weird if I had" Melissa commented

Dana rolled her eyes

" So is he hot?" Melissa repeated

" Of course he is" Dana gave in

Melissa panned the camera over tot eh pool where Mulder was stripping down to his swimming trunks, " Exhibit A"

Nicole wolf whistled and Mulder's face reddened from the attention. Reluctantly Melissa panned back to Dana and continued,  
" Is he a good kisser?"

Dana heaved a sigh of frustration and got up from her seat, "I'm leaving"

The camera followed her as she walked out the glass doors and over to

the pool where Mulder was. He patted the side and she sat down in front of him. There was a brief conversation before he grabbed hold of her hands and pulled her fully dressed into the water with him. Her bikini top showed through her t-shirt, proving that he'd known her well enough to know that she always wore her swimsuit under her clothes in summer. She splashed around for a minute, complaining about the state of her drenched clothes before he pulled her in to kiss him. Wet clothing immediately forgotten she kissed him back.

" And there we have Exhibit B" Melissa stated for the camera before it once again faded to black.

The rest of the video continued on with the same kind of things. a few basketball games, two senior proms, the move to college and more recent hellos from the family. When it finally ended and Mulder hit stop they all sat staring at the blank TV for a minute.

" Well" Nicole remarked

" Welcome to my life" Mulder answered, pulling the video from the VCR and putting it on the shelf.

" That was actually kind of sweet, in a very Melissa way." Dana offered

" Yeh, it was thoughtful" Nicole agreed, " And I bet you never realised that you had half of it on tape for future reference."

" That's for sure," they both laughed

" She sounds like an interesting chick" Louis commented

" That she is" Mulder confirmed

" Maybe you'll meet her one day Louis" Nicole teased

" I wouldn't put it past Melissa to one day turn up unannounced" Dana joked

" Well we only have a couple of weeks till we're going back there for the holidays anyway. I'm sure she can hold out." Mulder responded, " Come on, let's work out what's for lunch."

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

**So so sorry that it has taken me so long to update my fics, I have no real excuse except that I have been very lazy and that my mind has been finding it hard to concentrate in the summer heat. Hopefully these two chapters make sense and line up with the others and we all don't have to read the first 6 over again to understand where we're at. I decided we needed a little angst in the next chapter as well cause things were getting just a little bit too perfect. Please read and review **


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything to do with the X-Files, I do own this story but am not making any profit from it.**

It was Thursday night and Mulder was going to a party with his friends to celebrate the end of exams. As it was his birthday the coming weekend he was the guest of honour and he had a feeling he would be getting a lot of alcohol poured down his throat. Dana wasn't going with him, as she still had one final exam the next day. About half an hour into the party he realised that he had been right about the amount of alcohol he would be consuming, by an hour into it he could barely walk straight. He had also noticed that one girl in particular was trying to hit on him.

Ashlin Thompson sashayed up to him, another beer in her hand and placed herself delicately on the arm of the chair he sat in.

" I brought you another drink" she smiled,

" Thanks" he answered, glancing around in search of Louis and Jack in the bustling atmosphere

" You're a very good looking man Fox," she purred

He smiled politely and corrected his name to "Mulder. Only two people call me Fox"

" Oh" Ashlin pouted, " And I'm not one of them?"

" No. That would be Dana and her mum."

'Her mum?' Ashlin thought, 'this guy might be harder to crack then she thought'

" Too bad" she revealed, " It would sound good coming from me"

Mulder glanced up at her, trying to focus on her face. He knew about Ashlin, she had been trying to get him to sleep with her since he had first come to college- and she just never gave up.

" Goodbye Ashlin" he dismissed, " Thankyou for the drink"

Mulder forced himself to stand up and go over to where he had spotted Jack, Louis and Sally standing near the bar. He stayed with the for the rest of the night and even made it through a few rounds of 'for he's a jolly good fellow' directed his way by drunk classmates. By the time the party was nearly over it was very late and Mulder was still very drunk. The girl who had had her eye on him all night had tried a few more times to make subtle moves, but he hadn't taken the bait for any of them. Finally she saw her chance when he walked outside to get some air.

Mulder breathed in the cool, slightly damp night air and tried to remember the last time that he had drunk so much. He felt an arm go around his waist, and for a minute thought it was Dana. But when he turned towards the figure he realised that it was actually Ashlin.

" Hi" He murmured drunkenly

" Hello" she smiled, he noticed she hadn't moved her arm from his waist and knew there was something her was meant to say in this situation, oh yes that's it

" I have a girlfriend Ashlin, you know that."

" Oh yes, little Dana. How old is she, 17?"

Mulder raised his eyebrows but was too drowsy to reply with anything quick witted, or fully understand the implications of her words.

Ashlin stood up on tiptoe and leaned in towards him, her perfume overwhelming his senses, "surely it's an open relationship" she commented, " She can't expect to have you all to herself."

Mulder was just about to reply that that was exactly what she could expect to have when he felt Ashlin's lips on his own. It had all happened so quickly, one minute she was there the next she was kissing him. And this was bad…

It took him a minute to get his brain to process what was happening, but when it did he savagely pushed her away. He saw Nicole over her shoulder and his eyes grew wide. He was suddenly far more alert then he had been a few moments earlier, and he was in big trouble.

Nicole immediately headed in the direction of their apartment, presumedly to tell Dana what she had just witnessed. Mulder looked from Ashlin to the retreating women and back, " You have no idea what you've just done" he accused, before running after Nicole

Ashlin smiled, she knew exactly what she had done. Things were going to be quite rocky if not over with the well renown Mulder/ Dana relationship now, and she was the cause of it.

Well if she couldn't have what they had, then why should they? She thought, throwing her blonde curls over her shoulder and waltzing back into the party.

Mulder caught up with Nicole half way down the street

"Nicole!" he shouted, " Stop please!"

" No way Mulder. She deserves to know" Nicole replied over her shoulder

" I'll tell her, I promise. Just please let it be me tell her."

Nicole stopped and looked at him, her air was disapproving and disappointed,

" It wasn't what you thought you saw" he tried to explain

" I just saw you cheat on one of my best friends" Nicole answered

" She kissed me!" Mulder exclaimed

" Like that makes a difference" Nicole snorted and continued on walking

" Come on Nicole. I promise I'll go right home and tell her now. If I haven't told her by the morning I'm sure you will anyway- just give me a chance first."

Nicole glanced at him and sighed, " Okay. But if you haven't told her by the morning so help me God"

" Thankyou" he whispered, taking over Nicole and running all the way home

Dana greeted him in the lounge room as she was still up studying. When he entered she smiled and went to hug him, but something seemed off.

He smelled strongly of alcohol, but then she'd half expected that since it was a college party. But there was something else as well, a sweet smell that drifted through the yeasty smell of the beer. It was then that she realised it was perfume, and no her own.

Immediately she drew back and looked at him

" What did you do?" She asked, her voice strong yet shaky at the same time

" I promise Dana I didn't mean to do anything."

Dana's eyes widened and she turned her back on him so he couldn't see the tears forming in her eyes

" I was just outside the party getting some fresh air when Ashlin came up behind me and started asking me if we had an open relationship, just as a was about to tell her absolutely not she started kissing me."

" I'll kill that bitch" Dana murmured, grief turning quickly into anger. But the anger wasn't just directed at Ashlin

" Did you kiss her back?" she asked, her back still turned

" What? No of course not!"

" So you just let her kiss you?"

" Well no, it took me a minute to realise what was happening because of the amount of alcohol I'd had but the minute I did I pushed her away and came back here."

" And nothing happened in between?" Dana persisted

" Well Nicole saw as, but she didn't see me push her away."

" Is that the only reason you're telling me? Because Nicole would have if you didn't?"

" No!" Mulder answered, " I was going to tell you no matter what happened

Finally she turned on her heels to look at him.

" You're sleeping out here tonight" she ordered, " I don't want you anywhere near our room."

" Dana" he appealed, as she tidied up her study notes and textbooks. He grabbed her arm just as she was about to enter their room and the look she gave him made his skin crawl

" Don't Mulder." Where the only words that escaped past her clenched teeth, the lack of his first name wasas good asa punch inthe stomach

Horrified he watched the door close behind her. She wasn't joking- he was in the doghouse tonight.

Turning to the lounge he took his shoes off and laid down. It was too short and his tall lankly body had to fold up uncomfortably to be able to fit.

Dana wasn't the only one who was going to kill Ashlin if this didn't blow over. But at the same time he felt guilty himself. He shouldn't have drunk so much, he should have had his wits around her when she had kissed him and pushed her away immediately.

What was he going to do?


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

The next morning Dana rolled over and realised that Mulder wasn't by her side. Confusion set in for a moment before the events of the night before came tumbling back into her mind. It was at that moment that she also remembered that she had an exam at 9:30am. Glancing at the clock with a growing sense of dread she realised that it was already 8:50am.

"Shit!" she cursed, struggling out of the sheets that had wrapped themselves firmly around her body during her night of restless tossing and turning. She didn't have time for a shower so she hurriedly pulled on a skirt and blouse, gathered her notes and bag and ran into the kitchen.

" Hey" Nicole greeted, " How are you feeling?"

" Fine" Dana replied

" Yeh sure you are" Nicole answered engulfing her in a hug before she had any chance to object. The comfort of her friend made Dana's façade fall down around her and she started to cry.

" I have an exam in 35 minutes.." she wept into Nicole's shoulder, " How could he do this to me?"

" I have no idea" Nicole answered, " But if it's any consolation he's got one of the worst hangovers I've ever seen."

" Where is he?" Dana asked, immediately straightening up and wiping the tears from her eyes

" Throwing up in the bathroom" Nicole answered, " I'm amazed you didn't hear him."

" I was in my own little world." Dana admitted

Nicole nodded, " Come on I'm driving you to the exam."

" I can walk" Dana insisted half-heartedly

" We're driving" Nicole repeated, shoving a piece of toast into her hand and shooing her out the door before Mulder could emerge as that was definitely the last thing she needed right now.

Dana didn't think she could make it through the exam, but she did. She even managed to remember nearly all of the information she needed to answer the questions. Some how she had managed to turn off her emotions and concentrate purely on the facts.

However when she emerged from the exam hall the emotions came flooding back, making up for the lost time. She couldn't go home yet; she needed some time to think and be alone.

Five minutes later she sat at a table towards the back of the library, she had a book on psychics open in front of her but was paying no attention to its contents. With a sigh she glanced up at and saw one of her classmates.

" Hi Dana, I didn't see you there." Trent smiled, moving his books and bag next to her own

" Hi Trent." Dana murmured, " How did you find the exam?"

" Yeh, not too bad" He answered, "What are you doing up here? I thought you'd be out celebrating."

Dana looked away, " No I need a bit of time out before I go home"

Trent's brow furrowed as he took in the expression on his friends face

" Is everything okay Dana? Have you and Mulder had a fight?"

Dana snickered and then leaned in closer, resting her weight on her crossed arms

" What do you know about Ashlin Thompson?"

" Ashlin? She does psych doesn't she? Blonde, bout 5'6"?"

" I don't know- that's why I'm asking you." Dana answered, already inwardly cringing at the description

" All I've really heard is that she's a bit of a man-eater. I wouldn't worry about Mulder though, she's been trying it on with him since last year and he's had nothing to do with her each time."

Dana raised her eyes to take in Trent, " How do you know?"

Trent shrugged, " Word gets around. A lot of guys were wondering why he never accepted, but then we all met you and it made sense." He finished with a wink

" Does she live on campus?" Dana asked

" Yeh I think so, she's from out of town. I'm pretty sure she lives here." He narrowed his eyes at her, " Why Dana? What do you plan on doing?"

" I have no idea," Dana answered truthfully

" Would you like me to come with you?" Trent asked

" No" she replied immediately, " This is a girl thing."

" Enough said" Trent retreated

Dana gave an anxious smile and stood up,

" Thanks Trent, I'll see you round."

" Don't do anything I wouldn't do" he called after her

Dana brought up her discussion with Trent that night with Nicole and Sally

" Is it true?" She asked, "Has this girl been after my boyfriend for over a year and I haven't even noticed?"

The two friends looked at each other and shrugged, " Dana from what I've heard about Ashlin she's after any guy who acts like they don't want her. She thinks of it as kind of a challenge."

Dana rolled her eyes, " I think I'd like to meet this girl and give her a piece of my mind"

" All in good time, we can do that tomorrow." Nicole schemed

" We can?" Sally asked

" How about we go on a picnic tomorrow for lunch, and we can pay Ashlin a visit after we're finished."

" I don't know" Sally and Dana murmured hesitatingly

" Oh come on Dana, as much as I'm annoyed at Mulder right now too, it's his birthday on Sunday. Do you still want to be fighting for that?"

" Well, no." Dana agreed, " But what if it was he who kissed her and that's what she says? Either way I'm not going to just let him off the hook."

" What else can we do Dana?"

" I don't know" Dana admitted with a sigh

" Sally do you want to stay here tonight?" Nicole asked, looking at her watch, "It's getting late"

" Oh, sorry. It is too- have you got room?"

" You can stay in my room with me" Dana offered, " Fox is still limited to the sofa, and I wouldn't mind some company."

" Okay, are you sure Mulder won't hate me for it?"

" I don't really care" Dana commented, even though deep down she knew she did.

Soon after they had all gone to their respective rooms, Sally was just settling into the unfamiliar bed when there was a knock at the door. "Come in" she called softly

Mulder stuck his head around the corner and peered in, expecting Dana to be there

" Oh I'm sorry, I didn't realise she'd given away my side of the bed already."

" Sorry Mulder, it got late and she said I could stay."

" It's okay Sally, I was just joking. It's my fault I don't have a bed." He admitted, a hint of sadness in his voice. " I just needed a change of clothes."

" Go right ahead." Sally smiled

He grabbed some clothing and was on the way out when Dana walked in the door. The tension could have been cut with a knife, Sally observed as she noticed their eyes meeting before Mulder ducked his head and left the room.

The minute the door clicked shut behind him Dana let out an exasperated sigh.

" Wanna talk about it?" Sally asked, patting the bed next to her

Dana glanced up slowly and nodded.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Disclaimer: I do not own anything relating to the X-Files, I do own this story but am not making any profit from it.

When Dana was tucked up next to Sally her friend urged her once again to talk.

" We never really fight that much" Dana confessed, wiping the lone tear from her face, " Well not about anything big anyway."

" So why is it me next to you instead of him?" Sally asked

" Because he broke my trust." Dana answered truthfully, " He kissed another woman Sal, and whether it was her or him that initiated it, it still makes my skin crawl thinking that his lips where on someone other then me."

Sally nodded and then decided to confess, " I was at that party Dan"

" You were? But why?" Dana replied confused, " You're a freshman and you don't do psych, did you go with Nicole?"

" No" Sally blushed, " I went with Jack"

Dana grinned for the first time all night, " Are you two…..?"

" We're getting there" Sally remarked aloofly, before switching the topic back to Mulder " Everyone was filling him full of beer because it was his birthday in a few days. I noticed a girl was hanging around but he seemed to be only speaking to her in mono-syllables and generally blowing her off. When she wouldn't go away he came over to us, he stayed with us for the rest of the party and only went outside towards the end to get some fresh air. But he never came back in after that."

Dana nodded, trying to piece together the sequence of events in her head, " I do trust him you know. I pretty much believe that it was her that kissed him, especially after Trent's description of her today."

" But.."

" Like I said, it still makes me feel weird. We've been together for nearly three years. He's been mine for three years, I can't believe that another girl could just waltz up and take that away."

" She didn't" Sally replied with a shake of her head, " She only did it because she was jealous of what you guys have- she was probably trying to break you up. She hasn't succeeded has she?"

" Of course not" Dana answered, " Yes it's taking a few days, and it will be a bit weird for a while but we're stronger then that. You don't think Fox believes I'm going to break up with him do you? "

Sally shrugged, " I really don't know Dana. You have kicked him out of your room."

" I needed some time to myself."

" Maybe you should tell him that tomorrow, set a few things straight."

" Yeh, maybe" Dana agreed, then smiled at her friend

" Thanks Sal"

" No worries" she replied, turning off the lamp and rolling over

" And don't think I've forgotten about you and Jack either" Dana added, turning off her lamp as well

Sally smiled to herself; she should have known that Dana would remember that bit of gossip throughout he entire deep and meaningful conversation. She was going to get the third degree when things settled down with her and Mulder.

Sally and Nicole had early classes the next morning and had left the house by 9am, leaving Dana to pack the picnic lunch and meet them in the park near the campus after their class.

Showering she thought about all that Sally had said the night before, 'yes she was upset at Mulder, but she wouldn't dream of breaking up with him over something like this. If he'd been cheating maybe- but she trusted that this situation wasn't anything like that. She'd known Mulder for half her life, through various girlfriends including herself and he had never cheated on anyone.'

With a sigh she stepped out of the bathroom, dried herself off and got dressed. She grabbed her watch from the bedside table and fastened it to her wrist. It was 10:30am, she should probably start putting together the lunch and head over to meet the others.

When the picnic lunch was nearly completed Dana heard a familiar footfall behind her and instinctively turned her head to catch a glimpse of her boyfriend.

" Hi Fox," she announced, before turning back to her sandwich

" Hi" Mulder repeated, noticing that at least she was back to using his first name. He watched her from behind as she packed the remains of a healthy lunch into a cooler bag. He was familiar with every move she made, and yet everything seemed so different, so awkward between

them.

Clearing his throat he decided to try and do something about it as it was getting to hard to play indifferent. " Have you got some time? I was wondering if we could talk or you know…" he trailed off, words failing him as she looked up, things had never been this uncomfortable between them before.

" I'm going on a picnic with Nicole and Sally" she answered, zipping up the cooler

" Oh, okay"

She saw his face fall and instantly wanted to reach out to hold him, but she couldn't- not yet.

" Maybe later tonight?" she suggested, his eyes lifted from the floor to her eyes, a glimmer of hope shining in them.

" Yeh! That would be great" he answered, trying to hold back the enthusiasm he felt

Dana nodded and hauled the cooler off the table and throwing a picnic rug over her shoulder, " I'm meeting the girls on campus, but I'll be home later."

Mulder nodded, " I'll be here" he promised.

She nodded and then walked from the room, leaving him to watch her retreating back.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything to with the X-Files; I do own this story but am not making any money from it. **

Dana made her way to the park near the college campus and spread out the picnic rug. Making herself comfortable she waited for her friends and let her mind wander to thoughts of Mulder.

She hadn't told him that they were planning on going to see Ashlin, but then she hadn't spoken more than a few words to him since he'd come home on the Thursday night. The mixture of emotions was overwhelming; she was still angry, but more than that she felt like there was a dead weight pushing down on her chest.

She couldn't allow herself to think about what might happen between her and Mulder tonight because she didn't even know what was going to happen this afternoon- whether they were going to go see Ashlin or not.

She did know that Nicole was right. It was Mulder's birthday tomorrow and she did want all of this business over and done with before then. Approaching voices tore her from her thoughts as she looked up and noticed Nicole and Sally heading her way.

" Oh I'm starved, what did you bring?" Sally asked, always anxious to not talk about the bigger issues

" There are salad sandwiches, some chocolate chip cookies and some grapes." Dana listed

" Sounds good," They both answered, seating themselves next to Dana on the blanket

" So" Nicole inquired around a bite of her sandwich, " Did you run into Mulder this morning?"

" I did " Dana confirmed, " I agreed to spend some time with him tonight. To you know…talk"

Sally glanced up and smiled, " Good"

" You still want to go see Ashlin after this?" Nicole asked, watching her reaction intently

Dana swallowed the bite she had in her mouth and then replied as confidently as she could, " Yes"

Nicole gave a small smile, " Okay well I know her roommate so it shouldn't be too hard. Even if we just talk to Kathy and leave a note for Ashlin it's still doing something proactive."

Dana let out a small breathe, she had no idea what she would say to Ashlin if she were there. The amount of emotions that had been flowing through her over the past few days didn't leave an awful amount of room for rational or pre-emptive thought.

The time passed quickly with idle chitchat prevailing after the announcement of their plans for the afternoon had been settled. All too quickly for Dana's liking their picnic lunch was finished and Nicole was leading them on the way to the campus' boarding houses. It was when they got to the door that Dana realised that she didn't even know what Ashlin looked like. Sure Trent had given her a brief description but 'blonde and 5'6"' didn't really give her that much to go on. The girl that answered the door had blonde hair and was 5 foot something but Dana was saved trying to work out how to react when Nicole greeted the girl as 'Kathy'

Kathy let them into the room with what seemed to be a sad smile; it seemed like this wasn't the first time she'd had to deal with something like this.

" These are my friends Sally and Dana" Nicole introduced as Kathy shook each of their hands and told them to make themselves comfortable

" How do you two know each other?" Dana inquired, glancing around the room

" Kathy has a lot of her psychology classes with Mulder and I"

" Oh" she answered, not really sure of what else to say, luckily Kathy saved her the trouble

" Are you Mulder's girlfriend?" she asked,

" Yes" Dana answered

" He's a nice guy"

" Yes, he is." Dana confirmed, unsure of where this was all going to end up

" Ashlin made a move on him." Nicole commented

Kathy rolled her eyes, " Wouldn't surprise me. Dana, Mulder's too nice and too committed to you to be anything more than a passing fancy for Ashlin. She's already got three guys on the books."

"Ashlin's having three relationships at once?" Sally asked wide-eyed

Kathy snickered, " I didn't say anything about relationships. See regardless of what people think now Ashlin was actually in a long-term relationship back in Ireland before she came to college. From what she's told me she really loved him, but he dumped her, said the relationship wouldn't be able to survive the distance between them. Her faith in relationships has kind of gone down hill from there. She's been having flings ever since she got here, likes to know she's still desirable, that she can still reel them in."

" I got told that she sees Mulder as a challenge" Dana acknowledged

" Like I said. This guy she had back home meant an awful lot to her, she's still sore. If she can't have a long term fulfilling relationship then she seems to think that no one should."

The door behind them clicked and Dana looked up to see a girl matching Trent's description. For a second uncertainty washed over the girls face as she glanced around at her populated dorm room, but just as quickly it was replaced by a forced self-confidence. Though Dana had never met the girl before she recognised the cover up well, as it was one she herself used regularly.

" Nicole" she nodded to the one visitor she recognised, " What brings you here?"

" Oh you know, just passing through" Nicole quipped, " These are my friends Sally and Dana"

" Dana, I recognise that name. Have I met you before?" Ashlin asked, studying the young girl before her

" No you haven't" Dana answered, " But I believe you kissed my boyfriend on Thursday night."

Ashlin continued to stare at her without recognition and for one amazed moment Dana thought that she might have to actually clarify even more. Thankfully it didn't take much longer for the pieces to click and the light bulb over Ashlin's head to go off.

" Oh you're Fox Mulder's girlfriend." She stated it so casually that Dana could have taken her out right there and then. This girl had caused her and Mulder grief for days now and she barely even remembered what she had done?

Kathy cleared her throat and glanced pointedly at Sally and Nicole, " Would you two like something to eat or drink?"

They nodded quickly and followed her out of the room regardless of just finished lunch. Nicole felt a little bit bad for leaving Dana with Ashlin, but at the same time she felt that this was something that had to be settled between the two of them, she knew that if anyone could handle Ashlin it would be Dana after all.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything to with the X-Files; I do own this story but am not making any money from it. **

'_Remember that everyone you meet is afraid of something, loves something and has lost something.'_

_H. Jackson Brown, Jr. _

Dana took in the woman sitting across from her, the woman who by one action had caused so much turmoil in her and Mulder's lives. She was older then Dana, more Mulder's age, and quite a bit taller, but she wasn't going to let that put her off. This girl may be hiding an Irish temper, but what she didn't know was that so was she.

" Would you like to explain?" Dana asked after clearing her throat

" Explain what exactly?" Ashlin responded, examining the slightly chipped nail polish on her right hand.

" Why you felt the need to kiss someone else's boyfriend." Dana clarified, her temper starting to bubble.

Ashlin raised her eyebrows and smirked, " Have you seen your boyfriend? He is rather grand."

Dana maintained her unwavering stare, so Ashlin sighed and explained, " Look darling, sometimes you just have to test if guys are true. Whether anything can come between you and the long haul."

Dana tilted her head to the side and considered the best method of attack

" Like the distance between continents that came between your relationship?"

" That is none of your business." Ashlin replied curtly

" As Mulder and my relationship is none of yours." Dana retorted

" In my experience men are always able to come up with some excuse about why they can't be with you." Ashlin answered

" I've known Mulder since he was in high school" Dana shared, " He's basically part of the family."

" Well aren't you lucky." Ashlin scoffed, "But unfortunately I knew Kieran since high school as well, and it didn't change the outcome."

" Have you had contact with him since you've been in America?" Dana asked, treading lightly

" A few times." Ashlin divulged, " But nothing to with standing."

" So you've just chosen to go through all the guys at college instead?" Dana inquired

" If I'm in control of the situations I don't get hurt." Ashlin explained, " Letting yourself love someone leaves you vulnerable baby."

" It's _Dana_," she corrected

" Such a pretty young thing aren't you" Ashlin mused, but Dana was not ready to let her guard down.

" Oh wake up baby, can't you see that I did it cause I'm jealous."

" Of me and Mulder?" Dana asked

" Duh. I guess it's what I crave deep down yada yada yada. But I lost it back in Ireland."

Dana blinked, seeing the vulnerability that Ashlin spoke of reflected in her eyes. But just as quickly it was gone.

" So if you've got what you came for, would you mind leaving?" Ashlin announced, "I've got a hot date to get ready for."

Dana rolled her eyes and stood up, going to find her friends.

" Oh and Dana" Ashlin called after her

" Yes" Dana answered without turning around

" He didn't kiss me back."


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

**Disclaimer:**** I do not own anything to with the X-Files; I do own this story but am not making any money from it.**

Dana blinked, but it was no use. Ashlin was gone. Most likely in her room by now, getting done up for another night out, with yet another guy. Slowly she stood up and walked towards her friend's voices, barely muffled by the half wall separating the lounge room from the kitchen.

When she walked through the doorway everyone went unanimously quiet and stared at her, trying to read her expression. Dana offered a small smile when Kathy offered her a drink, taking a few sips before placing it on the counter and turning to her friends.

"What happened?" Nicole asked, unable to withstand the suspense any longer.

"She's a hurt girl striking out" Dana announced, not as self-satisfied as she thought she would be by that assessment, "You know, I think I'd really like to see my boyfriend now."

"Of course hun!" Nicole exclaimed, engulfing her friend in a hug and throwing a farewell over her shoulder "Kathy, thanks for everything. See you around."

"I hope everything works out." Kathy remarked, leading the three to the door

"I have a feeling it will." Sally confessed with quiet hope.

Nicole decided that she would go back to Sally's place for a while to give Dana some time alone to work out what she was feeling.

Dana was doing just that when she felt Mulder's presence at their bedroom door. She glanced up and noticed him staring at her, still obviously unsure as to what the boundaries were. The look on his face was the last straw. Without another thought she stood up from the bed and threw herself into his arms. Mulder stood stock still for a moment, unsure of whether this was actually happening, or if it was just his own wishful thinking. When he realised that he wasn't imagining it, but that she was indeed in his arms he couldn't stop the smile spreading across his face as his arms tightened around her waist, pulling her close.

"I missed you" He whispered into her hair

"I missed you too" Dana whimpered

"I'm really sorry Dans."

Dana pulled back slightly from him, not able to relinquish the full safety of his presence just yet after being away for this long.

"I went and saw Ashlin." She confessed

"I was wondering whether you would." Mulder admitted, "Is she still alive?"

Dana smiled softly, "Yes, she's still alive. I know it wasn't you Mulder. Deep down I always did, it was just so unexpected."

"Tell me about it." Mulder sighed, "So…." He started hesitantly, "Is this you forgiving me?"

Dana looked into his eyes and grinned, "What do you think?"

Mulder hugged her tight before pulling her in closer and kissing her softly on the lips.

"I don't think I could get a better birthday present" Mulder teased, before kicking the door shut behind him and moving in for more.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

**Disclaimer:**** I do not own anything to with the X-Files; I do own this story but am not making any money from it.**

The next morning Dana opened her eyes gradually, something was telling her that this was an important day. She felt Mulder's arm around her and remembered the night before. They had made up, everything was back to normal.

'Oh, thank God.' She thought, snuggling back into the warmth of her boyfriend and closing her eyes in contentment. Only to have them spring open again in realisation – it was Mulder's birthday!

"Fox" she whispered, turning in his arms to face him

"Mmmm" he murmured, not wanting to open his eyes in case last night had all been a dream. But her voice was insistent, and it didn't sound hostile.

"Fox, wake up!"

"Why?" he finally asked, trying to hug her close.

"It's your birthday!" Dana announced, "Don't you want presents?"

Just as it always had the word 'presents' got his attention. Slowly he opened one eye, she was smiling back at him, it hadn't been a dream after all.

"I thought I got my present last night." He grinned

With a smirk Dana declared, "That was just the appetiser."

"What's the main course?" he asked, nibbling at her ear

"Come on!" she exclaimed excitedly, swiftly maneuvering out of his embrace and grabbing a pair of shorts and a t-shirt for him ad a skirt and blouse for herself. She threw the first set of clothes at the bed and struggled into hers whilst running a brush through her hair.

"What's the hurry?" Mulder inquired, "We don't have any classes today."

"Exactly." Dana smiled, grabbing his hand and yanking him out of bed and towards the bedroom door. With one last kiss she threw it open to reveal Nicole, Louis, Sally and Jack.

A collective sigh of relief was heaved by all four as they saw that the couple were indeed back together. Not wanting to consider how awkward the day would be if they weren't.

"Happy Birthday!" they all announced, taking it in turn to hug the birthday boy. After the pleasantries were over Nicole grabbed her car keys and ordered "Let's go guys, daylight's burning."

As they all filed down the stairs after her Mulder turned to Dana and repeated his earlier question, "What is going on?"

"You'll see." She answered enigmatically, her smile reaching her eyes for the first time in days.

Mulder wrapped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her close. He didn't care what she insisted, the two of them being happy and back to normal again was the best birthday present he could get.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

**Disclaimer:**** I do not own anything to with the X-Files; I do own this story but am not making any money from it.**

A huge smile graced Mulder's face as they reached their destination. He really hadn't had any idea where they were going, but now as he looked at the fairground spread before him he found himself grabbing Dana's hand and bouncing like a little kid.

She laughed as he pulled her out the car door before the vehicle had even properly stopped. "Do you like it?" she asked, more certain of her choice now then she was when they had left their apartment.

"It's great!" Mulder exclaimed, "How on earth did you think of it?"

Dana smiled, "We've both been so stressed lately, first with exams and then with…well you know." Mulder looked away not wanting to think of the past few days. "I thought that this would be the perfect place to have some clean and simple fun. Like the old days."

Mulder brought his eyes back to her face, his mouth forming a lopsided grin. He stared at her for a second before placing a soft kiss on her lips and engulfing her in a hug. "You always know exactly what I need." He whispered into her hair.

"Come on you two love birds." Jack yelled, "You're missing all the fun!"

Nicole ran up behind them and grabbed Dana's hand, "Oh look!" she exclaimed, "Cotton candy!"

Sally gave a contented sigh "I haven't had that since I was a kid!"

Squealing like children the three girls ran off in the direct of the sugary treat, leaving Mulder, Louis and Jack staring after them. Louis shook his head, "Cotton candy? That's all it takes to please them?"

"Haunted house!" Jack suddenly shouted, speeding off in the direction of a black ride with skeletons decorating the outside. Mulder laughed at the absurdity of it all. 'Yes' he thought, 'It was exactly what he needed.'

The girls were waiting for them at the haunted house exit, their cotton candy almost down to the stick.

"Was it scary?" Sally teased

"Of course not" Mulder brushed it off with a wave

Louis and Jack exchanged glances and shrugged, "Maybe a little."

After riding nearly all of the rides and eating nearly all of the junk food on offer the five friends ended up at the ferris wheel that arched far above the fairground.

"We all up for a bit of sightseeing?" Mulder asked

"I don't like heights" Sally confessed quietly.

"You can go on it with me" Jack offered, "It won't be so bad."

Sally looked hesitant for a minute until Jack gave her hand a comforting squeeze. "Okay" she agreed, "Let's do this."

Since it was Mulder's idea, he and Dana took the first free seat, followed by Sally and Jack and Louis and Nicole. They watched the fairground grow smaller and smaller as they rose to the top.

Dana leaned into the arm that Mulder had around her, resting her head on his chest. "It really puts things into perspective doesn't it?"

"What does?" Mulder asked, staring down at the crowds below them

"Seeing everything so small, so insignificant."

"I suppose it does." Mulder agreed, leaning back in his seat and finding that he was much more satisfied looking at her then at the view.

"Thankyou Dans."

"Hmmm?" Dana turned to look at him

"Thankyou." He repeated, "For this" he spread the arm that wasn't holding her to indicate the entire fairground, "And for, you know, sticking with me for all these years."

She tilted her head to the side and gave a soft smile, "I could say the same to you."

"Yeh?" He asked self-consciously

"Yeh." She confirmed, leaning in to brush his lips with hers.

It took them a minute to realise that the wheel had stopped moving and that their chair was on the ground. In fact it was Louis' yell of "Get a room" that finally broke through.

Dana blushed as Mulder lifted the safety rail up so they could get off. With a hasty apology to the ferris wheel operator Mulder took her hand and led her to the side to wait for the others.

When everyone was on solid ground they decided that it was time to head home, after a quick stop to buy more junk food for the ride home everyone piled into the two cars and settled down for the ride.

It was dark by the time they arrived back at the apartment. Jack and Sally only stopped briefly to say goodbye before driving on to their respective places. The other four trudged up the steps carrying the rubbish left from their junk food binge as well as the prizes won on various games.

The four parted ways in the lounge room, Louis and Nicole heading to their rooms and Dana and Mulder to theirs.

After changing and depositing various newly acquired stuffed toys on the floor both of the latter found that they wanted nothing more then to snuggle up under the covers. As much as they were overtired the amount of sugar they had ingested refused to let them drift off.

Knowing he was still awake next to her Dana commented, "Jack and Sally seem to be getting pretty close."

"Mmmm, I noticed."

"You don't seem to keen on them getting involved. I would think you would since Jack is your friend." Dana prompted

"Yeh I am, and yeh he is..it's just…" Mulder stumbled, trying to find the words

Dana turned in his arms and watched him, "It's just what?"

"Jack can be a bit of a rogue. He goes through a lot of girls. I like Sally and I wouldn't like to see her get hurt."

Dana nodded, seeing the position he was in. "Do you think we should tell her?" she asked

Mulder shrugged, "I don't know. I mean like you said despite his faults Jack is my friend and I wouldn't want to do anything to ruin what he has with Sally if he really does like her. But…"

"But Sally is my friend and I wouldn't want to see her get hurt, especially if I knew what the guy was like." Dana finished for him.

Mulder nodded, "I guess all we can do is let them work it out for themselves for a bit. And if we see any warning signs have a discreet chat with our respective friends to find out what's going on."

Dana sighed, "That sounds like a plan. I hope it works out, they seem good together."

"Like you and me?" Mulder teased

"Weeellll" Dana drew out, "Maybe not quite as good as you and me, but then we do have quite a head start."

Mulder grinned, "Maybe we could teach them a thing or too" He offered drawing her closer and kissing his way down her collarbone.

"I don't think so" Dana sighed, contently running her hands over his muscular back, "They're our secrets to keep."

"Spoils spot." He teased

"Did you like today?" She asked, her breath on his ear

"I loved it." Mulder answered, "But not as much as I love you."

Dana giggled and pushed him off her, "Flattery will get you no where."

"You sure about that?" Mulder asked moving towards her. She recognised that grin and the glint in his eyes. Biting her lip, she tilted her head to the side, "Well, maybe somewhere."


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

**Disclaimer:**** I do not own anything to with the X-Files; I do own this story but am not making any money from it.**

"Wakey wakey." A girls voice drifted through Dana's dreams

"Dana" It said in a sing song way that sounded remarkably like her sister's. Dana's half waking mind tried to sort through this information. She wasn't back at home was she? She could have sworn that there was still another week until vacation and Mulder's arm was wrapped tightly around her waist.

Slowly she opened one eye and peered out at her environment. It was definitely her college apartment, but it was also definitely Melissa standing in front of her.

"Missy?" she murmured, confused

"Come on Dana, daylight's burning!" Melissa exclaimed with a smile

"Missy!" Dana's murmur had now turned into an excited shriek. Wriggling out of Mulder's arms she jumped out of bed and embraced her sister. Mulder rolled over and pulled the pillow over his head as the squealing continued.

"What are you doing here?!" Dana announced, jumping up and down still holding her sister.

"I came to check out how my 'lil sister is going and then I'm going to go back home with you two when vacation starts." Melissa explained

"Why didn't you tell us you were coming?" Dana asked

"Because I wanted it to be a surprise." Melissa answered. Holding Dana at arms length she gave her the once over, "Nice outfit by the way."

Dana was wearing an oversize t-shirt that belonged to Mulder, her hair hung in messy tendrils around her face. She looked at her sister and laughed. She hadn't realised how much she'd missed her. Suddenly she remembered the other person in the room.

"Fox!" She exclaimed, reaching over and giving him a light shove. There was an intangible grumble from under the pillow before he rolled over and peeped out at the source of all the loud noise.

"Melissa Scully." He acknowledged, "I should have known."

Melissa grinned as he opened up her arms and beckoned her down to the bed for a hug. She wished him a belated happy birthday, after which he murmured something about needing better security and rolled back over to go back to sleep.

Dana took Melissa by the hand and remarked, "Come on, we'll go into the lounge room and leave grumpy here to sleep."

Mulder murmured another series of indiscernible words from under the pillow while Dana pulled on a pair of shorts and headed for the lounge room with Melissa.

"He's normally more of a morning person then you." Melissa commented as Dana shut the door behind them.

"Depends how much sleep he has through the night." Dana answered

"Okay ewww, I'm not even going to ask what or _whom_ kept him up. I'm just going to revel in the fact that it was me who got to do the early waking."

"Of course you are." Dana smiled, "So how did you get down here? What about art school?"

"I caught the subway and art school breaks up earlier then college." Melissa clarified

"And you just couldn't wait the extra week to see us." Dana finished for her

Melissa laughed, "And that."

By this time they had made it to the kitchen.

"Breakfast?" Dana asked

"Starved." Melissa replied, "Whatcha got?"

"Muesli, toast, eggs if you can be bothered, or Captain Crunch."

"Ohhhh" Melissa schemed, "I just woke Mulder up, now I have the opportunity to eat all his cereal as well – He _will_ be impressed."

"So I take it you want the Captain Crunch?" Dana laughed

"Bring on the sugar." Missy announced.

After eating a couple of bowls of Mulder's cereal and stealing the complementary toy Melissa stood and began to explore the apartment.

"So you share with two other people?" She asked

"Yes" Dana replied while washing up their breakfast dishes, "I assume that you met Nicole earlier, either that or Mulder was right about needing better security."

"Yes, I met her as she was going out. I told her I was your sister and she said that you were both still asleep in the room near the bathroom." Melissa recalled the meeting while sneaking looks into the other rooms. "She seemed nice."

"Yes, she is." Dana agreed, drying her hands on the towel and turning to face her sister. "She and my friend Sally are the ones who helped decorate our room."

"It looked lovely by the way Dane, You did a great job."

"Thanks." Dana blushed

"Did Mulder get his birthday present?" Melissa inquired

"Yes thankyou. It was very unique." Dana confirmed, "You had some interesting footage."

"You sure did." Mulder's voice drifted into the conversation as he walked towards them. He wore only his boxers and still looked half asleep.

"She ate your cereal."Dana informed, handing him the significantly lighter box.

"Should have known." Mulder commented, tipping the remaining cereal into his bowl before searching the bottom of the box. "Melissa, did you steal the toy?"

"Maybe." She grinned

"Give it back." He commanded while moving toward her

"Make me." She retorted

"Right! That's it!" He snapped lunging for her. Melissa squealed and ran away with him hot on her heels. Louis came home just as they'd disappeared into the backyard.

"What's all the yelling?" He asked, dumping his bag by the lounge.

"My sister decided to make a surprise visit. She's been here close to an hour and she's already managed to wake Mulder up, eat his cereal and steal the Captain Crunch toy." Dana explained

"Ahhhh" Louis answered

"So right now he's chasing her around the backyard in his boxers trying to get it back." She concluded, "Isn't it good how some things never change."

As if to illustrate her point Mulder emerged back into the lounge room with Melissa slung over his shoulder.

"Where is it?"

"I don't have it!"

"Yes you do!"

"I don't!"

"Missy just give him the toy." Dana commanded

"Fine!" Melissa gave in, reaching into her pocket and handing Mulder the plastic figurine.

"Thankyou." He replied before dropping her unceremoniously back onto her feet.

"Oh hey Lou. How was your class?" Mulder asked, finally realising that there was another person in the room.

"Yeh good."Louis replied, his eyes on Dana's sister who still had her back to him. Dusting herself off she turned and their eyes met. She was even more beautiful them she'd been on the video.

"Lou, this is Dana's big sister Melissa." Mulder introduced, heading back over to Dana and his untouched breakfast. He sat down at the bench, placing the plastic figurine he had just retrieved in front of his bowl and added "Not that you'd know it."

'Says the man who just chased her around outdoors in his boxers over a toy' Dana tagged on in her head.

Melissa and Louis stared at each other for a moment before Louis cleared his throat, offered his hand and said "Nice to meet you."

"Yeh, you too." Melissa answered, much more subdued then she had been with Mulder. The interaction was not lost on Dana. Smiling she spoke up, "She's going to be staying with us for the rest of this week and then going back home when vaction comes."

"Oh cool." Louis answered, "Then I guess we'll be seeing a lot of each other."

"Looks that way." Melissa agreed

Mulder broke the tension by finishing his breakfast and stating, "I'm having my shower first, I remember what she's like in the bathroom."

Dana groaned, having forgotten that fact herself. Mulder smiled and kissed her softly on the lips.

"This is going to be an interesting week." She whispered

"That's for sure." He agreed, stealing a second kiss before heading to the bathroom.


End file.
